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  1. As the news of Dougie Lampkin's record extending seventh Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) victory filters its way around the world, it would be easy to take the thirty-seven-year-old's victory for granted especially when the margin of his win becomes apparent. However in reality the headlines do not tell the true story behind Dougie's road to his latest Scottish success, as the last six months have been anything but easy for the former twelve times FIM Trial World Champion. Two operations, the first of which was meant to be a routine minor procedure and a second to rectify the initial unsuccessful attempt, within a four-day period late last year saw Dougie's health begin a worrying downward spiral. With his immune system effectively destroyed Lampkin faced a long road to recovery that was not without its complications, which ultimately forced him off his bike for a prolonged and frustrating period.An intensive winter training programme that has included many miles in the saddle of a bicycle, as Lampkin also prepares himself for his summer pedalling challenge, followed by two months of daily trials practice put Dougie back in as good a shape as possible as he headed to Fort William late last week in an attempt to secure an incredible seventh win in the Scottish Highlands. However the Red Bull athlete's last minute preparations were disrupted just two days before the start of the 2013 SSDT as he was forced to visit the local hospital to seek medication as the underlying issue with his immune system flared up at just the thought of the sheer task that he was to face over the coming six days as he explains. "I couldn't believe it when I got the warning signs last Saturday morning, as I had been feeling the best I had felt for a long time. The medication takes a couple of days to kick in, but it's rocket fuel and doesn't make you feel the best before it starts to work. This plus the fact that I had not ridden a trial competition since last October made the first two days hard work." "I was cleaning sections, but not the way I wanted to and was on the edge a little bit in places, however that is all part of The Scottish. Come Wednesday things had started to click which was good as it was my early day and I knew that I needed to stay close to the lead if I was to have a chance of winning come the end of the week," continued Dougie. "Thursday proved to be the turning point and put me in front, but it was then that I started to feel the pressure. It took a bit to remember how to deal with pressure as it's been a while since I have been in that situation, but once I worked out what I used to do in these situations I felt slightly more comfortable," said the straight talking Yorkshire man. "Going into the last day with such a big lead was strange too, as I have never been in that situation before. Normally things are much closer and you just have to attack, but this time it was different. The opening group on Saturday was really tough which was not what I was looking for, but once I escaped the initial sections for just a dab I knew I was on my way," stated Lampkin. "It feels fantastic to have got a seventh Scottish win, and especially by such a large margin. I will definitely be back next year, although there are things I will do differently in the build-up to the event next May, as my preparations this year can be improved upon," ended Dougie in honest fashion. View the full article on the SSDT Website
  2. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) continues to rewrite the history books as he rode to an emphatic and record extending seventh win at the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) earlier today. Lampkin went into the sixth and final day of this year's event with a healthy lead over Sam Connor (Beta) and further increased his winning margin as he once again posted the best performance of the day. Dougie now stands head and shoulders above his peers in terms of SSDT victories, his seven wins now clearly surpassing the five achieved by legendary riders Sammy Miller and Mick Andrews.
  3. Welcome to the sixth and final day of the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial! Today is brought to you courtesy of Jitsie and Off Road Action.
  4. Thirty-seven-year-old Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) will set out this morning with a real chance of capturing a seventh Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) title to further extend the record that he achieved last year. Lampkin has already amassed more SSDT wins than any other rider in the long history of the competition. When Dougie won last year's event for SSDT win number six, he overtook both Sammy Miller and Mick Andrews who have each won this world famous trial five times.
  5. Heavy rain and strong winds at times failed to knock Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) off course as he moved within touching distance of recording a seventh Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) win following his performance today. Lampkin parted with only one mark on day five to open up a commanding lead ahead of tomorrow's final showdown as his nearest challengers faltered in the testing conditions. Sam Connor (Beta) will head into day six trailing Lampkin by twelve marks as he dropped ten marks today, that being his heaviest daily loss of the week to date. Connor will need to rediscover the form that has seen him sit close to or on top of the leaderboard all week if he is to claim the runner-up prize come tomorrow evening, as he now has only a one mark lead over 2011 winner James Dabill (Beta). Dabill's four mark ride was the second best performance of the day and continues a theme that has seen him leapfrog up the order with some purpose since his opening day disaster. However he was far from assured an ideal day as he lost marks as early as the second group. Alexz Wigg (Gas Gas) and Gary Macdonald (Sherco) both of whom have not enjoyed the best of days now hold fourth and fifth places respectively on twenty-five marks apiece. Wigg added twelve marks to his overall total today as did Macdonald as they fought to find their lines in the swollen burns that rose as the day went on due to the persistent rain overhead. Ross Danby (Jotagas) goes into tomorrow in sixth place and on the same marks as the two riders ahead of him. Cruelly ruled out of last year's event due to a mechanical problem during the latter stages, Danby is on course for his highest ever SSDT finish. Ian Austermuhle (Beta) confirmed his tag of Mr Consistent as he came home on seven marks to bump himself two places up the overall results and into seventh position with just one day to go. Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) in contrast had his worst day of the week so far and dropped to eighth place at the end of day five. Richard Sadler (Sherco) and enduro ace Tom Sagar (Montesa) are the two riders who currently close out the top ten, but are only too aware of the close and chasing pack of riders that sit just behind them at this critical point in the competition. Whilst nothing is ever certain at the SSDT, the various class leaders all hold commanding positions heading into day six and should, barring a disaster, claim their respective awards come tomorrow night. Adam Norris (Beta) is clear favourite to take the top award in the over 40's class, whilst Robert Waite (Beta) is on course to become the best newcomer and Emma Bristow (Sherco) is surely set to claim the best female prize for a third year in a row with a score that is exactly half that of her nearest rival. Although only fifty-six miles in total, Saturday's route should never be under-estimated when there is so much at stake for so many riders, be they winners or event finishers. Provisional Results for Friday 10th May 2013 View the full article on the SSDT Website
  6. Friday's results now available to download folks! Friday's Results View the full article on the SSDT Website
  7. Welcome to Day Four of the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial...how on earth is it Thursday already?! Today is brought to you courtesy of Hookwood Trials Centre, home to motorcycle and pushbike trials in the south of England.
  8. Seventeen-year-old twin brothers Brad and Dec Bullock are gradually coming to terms with the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT), with this being the first time that either has competed in the world famous event. The teenagers from Tarvin near Chester have grown up riding trials, but have never witnessed the SSDT first hand prior to making their debut this week. With the exception of their riding numbers - Brad [268] and Dec [267] - spectators this week will have found it difficult to distinguish between the two brothers with both their appearance and riding style being almost identical. Sibling rivalry has been present since their very first trial aged seven, when Dec won and Brad finished second, and since that moment the brothers have used their inter-family competition to drive themselves forward.After the first four days of this year's SSDT Dec once again holds the upper hand and currently leads his brother Brad by forty-one marks. Both have competed on the world stage with Brad achieving his best result at this level when he placed eleventh at the Spanish round last year. Dec made the long trip to Japan just over a week ago without his brother and recorded his highest finish at the FIM Trial World Championship when he came home in eighth spot to make the lone and long journey very worthwhile. Speaking about his SSDT experience Brad said. "It's been a great week so far and I have really enjoyed it, though if I am honest I have struggled due to my fitness. I have had a few problems with the bike, but we have got those sorted, so the bad result on Wednesday was down to me." Brad continued, "The days are much longer and tougher than I expected, it's OK to read about this event in the magazines or to watch it on DVD, but it is totally different in reality. You need to have a good level of fitness and although the sections are not perhaps as bad as I expected it is still tough overall." "I obviously want to beat my brother, however his fitness is better than mine and he has the edge on me so far. I hope the weather is kind for the next couple of days, as when it rained on Monday I found it really hard going. Anyway, whatever happens I will be coming back for many years to come as I am really enjoying the event overall," ended Brad. Echoing many of his brother's views Dec stated, "It's been one hell of an experience so far, but one that I am really enjoying. I have had some good rides, some mega rides in fact, but also some bad ones too." "The big surprise has been the moor crossings, they are much harder than I imagined and certainly take it out of you, the good news is it will not stop me coming back in the future as I am loving it," enthused Dec. "My goal like Brad is to be in the top fifty at the end of the week and to perhaps be the best 125 plus I would like to beat my brother, which perhaps goes without saying. So far so good, let's see what happens in the next two days," Dec said with a huge grin on his young face. View the full article on the SSDT Website
  9. Thursday lived up to its traditional tough billing as the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) moved into the second and deciding phase of the competition. Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) used the opportunity of the longest day of the trial, and the toughest to date, to move into the lead for the first time this week. His single mark loss today puts him on seven in total, and sees him move ahead of overnight leader Alexz Wigg (Gas Gas) who dropped eight marks on day four.
  10. Welcome to Day Four of the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial...how on earth is it Thursday already?! Today is brought to you courtesy of
  11. The 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) has once again confirmed itself as the single most important event in the international trials calendar, with this classic competition set in the Scottish Highlands having attracted just under two hundred and seventy riders from twenty-two different countries. Whilst the home nations continue to make up the bulk of the entry, it is the mighty Spanish Armada who are dominant in terms of the foreign contingent, which help to swell the ranks. Making up just shy of ten percent of the start list, Spanish riders have enjoyed a long and loyal association with the SSDT stretching back several decades. Whilst Great Britain may still be considered the birthplace of the sport of trials, in more recent times it is Spain that has ruled the roost both in terms of quantity and quality of riders on the world stage. However it was not until Jordi Tarres (Beta) conquered the Scottish terrain in 1987 that Spain could boast its first SSDT winner.Since then only two other Spanish riders have managed to match Tarres' feat, with Amos Bilbao (Montesa) claiming a highly popular win in 2002 before his compatriot Juan Pons (Sherco) then added his name to the famous trophy a year later. Spain's Jordi Pascuet (Jotagas) looked like he might join this elite club when he led last year's event to the halfway stage, but he finally finished in a respectable seventh position and as the highest placed foreign rider. Aside from the main challengers, one Spanish rider has become synonymous with The Scottish having now ridden it twenty-four times since he made his debut back in 1979. Carlos Casas has become as much a part of the SSDT as the boulders in the burns and has been an outstanding ambassador and advocate of the event over a prolonged period. As always, he only had kind words to say about his beloved Scottish. "Since I first came here in 1979 I have been a real fan of the SSDT as I love this event so much. I rode eleven times to start with, and then missed some years before returning again in 1990. Since then I have never missed a year and have been lucky enough to finish every time," explained Carlos. "The Spanish riders see this event as a big adventure and really love to come at least one time in their life to experience this very special trial. I would recommend every Spanish rider, and any rider from any country to come and ride the SSDT. You can learn so much and can have so much fun too. I especially want to tell the young riders that it is something that they cannot miss as it will certainly improve their riding," continued the ex-bank manager. "I have so many special memories. The best things about the SSDT are the friends I have made over the years, the scenery, the sections and just the incredible organisation. My best results were when I finished thirteenth twice, won the best foreign rider award four times and also won the over 40 class too," said Casas. "Now I come purely for enjoyment, but it is still the most important week in my year without question," ended Carlos. View the full article on the SSDT Website
  12. Alexz Wigg (Gas Gas) has now taken the outright lead of the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) after losing three marks on the third day of competition. The 2010 SSDT winner has close opposition from Dougie Lampkin (Gas Gas) whose dream of a seventh win remains a real possibility as he sits just one mark behind Wigg overall. He too dropped three marks on what was his early day. Sam Connor (Beta) who had begun the day carrying a yellow leader board along with Wigg, notched up five marks on day three and now trails the leading duo by two and one marks respectively. Local rider Gary Macdonald will be pleased with his day's work having now ridden himself into fifth spot overall thanks to three consistent daily performances thus far. The best performance of the day was by Dan Thorpe (Gas Gas) with the now SSDT veteran completing today's thirty sections for a mere one dab. This strong showing as the event reaches its midpoint sees Thorpe now join Connor on seven marks overall and within close reach of the outright lead. Wednesday proved to be the toughest of the three days so far and Michael Brown (Gas Gas) was to discover this first hand as he added a hefty ten marks to his tally to see himself slip slightly out of contention for the main prize. The second group of sections after today's short trip across the ferry was where most of the front-runners suffered their heaviest losses. Jack Challoner (Beta) was the only clean on the most difficult hazard at Inversanda, with Thorpe being the next best with a single dab attempt. Lampkin dropped two here to add to the early mark he lost at Lower Mamore, whilst most of the other main contenders were happy to see the ends cards for hard fought threes. Brown may live to regret the five marks he lost at Coire Dubh earlier in the day, whilst Connor can perhaps count himself fortunate to have escaped with only a two at Clachaig before he headed across the water. Guy Kendrew (Gas Gas) continued his incredible week to date and is neatly tucked into sixth place overall with both Jonathan Richardson (Ossa) and James Fry (Sherco) for close company. Only one mark separates this trio in the overall totals, as they dropped eight, four and eight marks respectively today to keep themselves within touching distance of what would be an historic win for any of these three riders for differing reasons. In the various sub plots Adam Norris (Beta) continues to head the over 40's class, Emma Bristow (Sherco) remains in control of the female category and Francesc Moret (Gas Gas) has clear water between him and his nearest challenger in the battle to be the best newcomer. It has often been said that the real fight for top honours does not begin until Thursday. With the riders facing the longest day of the week tomorrow, the order at the top of the leader board may look somewhat different in twenty-four hours from now, should day four play out like previou years.
  13. Wednesday's results now available to download folks! Wednesday's Results View the full article on the SSDT Website
  14. Welcome to Day Three of the 2013 Scottish Six Days Trial! Wednesday's trial is brought to you courtesy of Ossa Motos (UK) Ltd and Off Road Moto - thank you folks! Find out all about today's plans by reading the rest of the article below! The Weather! It's another bright and sunny day in the Fort folks - if you can get here, today is the day to do it!
  15. Having turned seventeen years old late last May, the last twelve months have seemed like an eternity for local youth rider Jack Dignan (Beta) who is making his debut at the Scottish Six Days Trial (SSDT) this week in an entry that is packed with pedigree and World Championship status contenders. The teenager from Lochaber has dreamed of riding this historic and unique event ever since he was a wee lad and has longed to be a part of something that is rich in his family's blood. Jack's uncle, Kevin Dignan was a SSDT regular over a prolonged period and his father David and his other uncle Simon have also competed in The Scottish in the past too, so there was a certain inevitability about Jack's participation in the 2013 SSDT now that he has come of age.Placed one hundred and seventh in the overall results after the first two days of competition, Jack is easily distinguishable amongst the international field thanks to his distinctive riding number [123] and was in high spirits about his week thus far having safely returned his 125 Beta to the Parc Ferme yesterday evening. Young Dignan explained how he has now turned from spectator to competitor. "I think I was about ten years old when I first watched the SSDT properly, but it was a few years later before I got more involved and started to ride trials. However ever since then I have always wanted to ride in the Scottish and now it has come true," said Jack. "Being a local and having the chance to watch the SSDT every year has been good in some ways, but in other ways it has made the wait to ride seem even longer and harder at times. Since turning seventeen last May it has seemed like a lifetime away, but now it is finally here and I can't explain how much I am looking forward to it," continued the Lochaber ex-youth rider. "The first two days have been incredible, I have loved every minute of it and even with the rain on Monday it just didn't matter as finally I am here and I am part of the SSDT, what could be better. So far my favourite sections have been Laggan Lochs and Forest Gate, but all of the sections are good and everything about the trial is just great," Jack enthused. "My aim is just to finish the week, I would like to try and be in the top one hundred and try to win the best Scottish newcomer. I have got the support of my whole family which is great, even my ten year old brother Ben who is a big trials fan managed to get the afternoon off school to come and watch me at Trotters Burn." ended the local teenager. Jack is currently the second highest placed Scottish newcomer and trails class leader Alan Forrester (Gas Gas) by a mere one mark with three days of competition still remaining. View the full article on the SSDT Website
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